Edmonton Oil Kings see end to home-ice win streak with loss to Victoria Royals

Edmonton's Brett Kemp (24) battles Victoria's Dante Hannoun (19) during the second period of a WHL game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Victoria Royals at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta on Wednesday, October 18, 2017. Ian Kucerak / Postmedia

The Edmonton Oil Kings’ home-ice win streak ended at seven games following a 3-2 loss to the Victoria Royals at Rogers Place on Friday.

The two teams met for the first and only time this season, while Victoria’s lone loss to the Oil Kings in eight games over the last five years came in a 7-6 shootout last season.

With the win, the Royals improved to 19-15-1 on the year as they sit second in the B.C. Division, after starting out 7-0.

Edmonton, meanwhile, fell to 21-13-4-3 after coming into the game fourth overall in the standings and first in the Central Division after having earned points in 10 of their previous 11 games (7-1-2-1). They have just a one-point lead over Lethbridge Hurricanes, whom they will face three times in the next four games, beginning Sunday at Rogers Place (2 p.m.).

“You’re not going to win every game, but I think tonight we weren’t ready to play in the first and that’s what killed us,” said Oil Kings forward Andrew Fyten, who had one of two Oil Kings goals, along with Vince Loschiavo, both of which were assisted by Vladimir Alistrov. “They had two in the first there and we weren’t playing well.

“We had a push back in the second, just the bounces didn’t go our way.”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The visitors jumped to a 2-0 lead within the opening five minutes, on goals by Brandon Cutler and Logan Doust.

Edmonton got on the board with a crease-crasher of a goal by Loschiavo, who pounced on a loose puck in a crowded goal mouth with two minutes left in the opening period.

After the Oil Kings failed to capitalize on a minute’s worth of two-man advantage, D-Jay Jerome reclaimed a two-goal lead for the Royals with a seeing-eye shot past Dylan Myskiw three-and-a-half minutes into the second period.

With eight-and-a-half minutes to go in the second period, the Oil Kings appeared to have beaten Griffen Outhouse, so much so that the spotlight operator lit up the Royals net after Liam Keeler rang a nice feed by Carter Souch off the far goalpost.

But the Oil Kings made good on a tap-in by Fyten, who parked himself at the top of the crease as Andrej Pavlenko carried the puck behind the net before dishing it out in front ahead of a scoreless third period.

With Myskiw off for an extra attacker with 22.9 seconds left in the final frame, Oil Kings captain Trey Fix-Wolansky stopped Kody McDonald from taking a shot on an empty Edmonton net. McDonald took offence, dropping his gloves and pulling Fix-Wolansky’s helmet off before being sent to the penalty box.

But the Oil Kings finished 0-for-6 on the power play, while Victoria went 0-for-4.

FIRST SHOT, FIRST GOAL

The Royals took a page out of the Oil Kings’ book, scoring the first goal of the game just 12 seconds in, when Cutler stripped the puck from Parker Gavlis to earn himself a breakaway.

The Spruce Grove product then deked out Myskiw, slipping the puck neatly to his backhand at the last moment.

But for the majority of the season, it’s been the Oil Kings opening the scoring in 23 of their previous 40 games, and finding plenty of success along the way, too.

After starting out a perfect 12-0-0-0 in games where they’ve scored the first goal, they are currently a heavily lopsided 17-4-1-1.

MYSKIW’S MISCUE

Letting in the first shot of the game is never part of a goaltender’s game plan, especially one coming off arguably his best game of the season in a 34-stop performance against the Vancouver Giants on New Year’s Day.

But Myskiw bounced back from the 2-0 early deficit to give his team a chance, and that’s all they can ask.

“That’s one thing you need in this league, is good goaltending, and we’ve been very fortunate,” said head coach Brad Lauer. “We have been going with three goalies and we’ve gotten good starts from all of our guys, but Myskiw has really carried the ball and has played very, very well for us.”

On Victoria’s side, former Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson was back in Edmonton Friday as the Royals goaltending coach.

CAPTAIN, WHAT CAPTAIN?

The Royals were without captain and team-leading scorer Dante Hannoun on Friday, having traded him away a day earlier, along with a pair of draft picks, to the league-leading Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for forwards Carson Miller, Kody McDonald and a higher draft pick.

The move of their top skater has led to speculation over Outhouse’s future between the pipes for the Royals, with the WHL’s trade deadline coming Jan. 10.

TOP PROSPECTS

Oil Kings defenceman Matthew Robertson will be among 16 WHL players taking part in the 2019 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Red Deer on Jan. 23, while Oil Kings athletic therapist Brian Cheeseman and equipment manager Rogan Dean will be on the staff of Team Orr.

Robertson remains day-to-day following a collision in the opening period of last Saturday’s game against the Red Deer Rebels. He has five goals and 21 points in 32 games this season.

WINTER GAMES

Half a dozen Oil Kings prospects are taking part in the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer from Feb. 15-March 3. Forward Dylan Guenther and defencemen Keagan Slaney and Matt Smith will suit up for Team Alberta, while forwards Michael Abgrall, Carson Latimer and Kobe Verbicky will play for Team British Columbia.

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